Is Alex Carder Ready To Take Over As Starting Quarterback?

If you ask Alex he'll tell you he is.

The Sophomore brings attitude, excitement, and hope to the Western Michigan Football team. His scrambling ability and lack of fear for taking shots down the field, bring something new to the Broncos offense.

However, Carder's biggest weakness is his lack of game experience. He attempted only 7 passes as a Freshman and now faces the challenges that come along with being a starting quarterback.

If he struggles or has a bad game, will he be able to handle the criticism that he will most likely face? Can he continuously improve from game to game? If he makes a mistake during a game, can he  bounce back quickly and not allow it to effect his play the rest of the game? And will he be able to ignore the comparisons and expectations that will be set for him as he replaces Tim Hiller?

Previous quarterback and WMU legend Tim Hiller set almost every passing record there is for the Broncos during his career and comparing Carder to Hiller is unfair. Unfortunately, the comparisons and expectations will be hovering over Carder his entire career, but that's what happens when you replace a legend. Aaron Rodgers had to deal with it in Green Bay when he replaced Brett Farve and now Carder faces the same challenge.

Fortunately for Carder, he will have plenty of weapons at his disposal. The Broncos are deep at the wide receiver position, as their top 5 performers from last years team return. Junior RB Aaron Winchester has been impressive so far in practice and will help take some of the pressure off Carder's shoulders. If all this is not enough, Carder will also have the added insurance of an experienced offensive line to protect him. 4 starters return from last years team and University of Michigan transfer Dann O'Neill steps in at right tackle after sitting out a year.

Alex has the tools to be a great quarterback, there's no doubt about it. If he didn't, Coach Cubit wouldn't have named him his starting quarterback months ago. If Alex can play his game and not worry about being the next Tim Hiller, he should have a solid Sophomore season and a successful career as a Bronco.